The 42nd Hunger Games
by actionfan
Summary: Petunia sacrifices herself for her friend, and promises to come back alive to her little brother. This story is written in honor of Rue, that part of the hunger games is so sad! I've finished the story, so now I'd like to know how you like it! -actionfan
1. The Reaping

**Chapter One: The Reaping**

I wake up to the chirping of the robins. It's a beautiful summer day, which is ironic because today is the day of my first reaping. I wish the weather would match everybody's mood- glum, and frightened.

Despite the fact that today, a boy and girl would be sentenced to their death, we still have to work in the fields, and learn the history of the stinking Capitol. I force myself out of my bed, slip on my shirt, button up my pants, and French braid my hair down my back. I will be late for school if I wait any longer.

I run down the dirt path, and meet up with my big brother, Conroy, on the school grounds. What I'm dreading the most is the thought that the glass balls will draw both of our names. I couldn't stand that.

"Con, what if both of our names are drawn?" I ask him. I see him gulp, as if he's trying to be brave for his little sister.

"I- I don't know." He says. Poor Con. I remember our other brothers and sisters. For the last five years, one of them was killed inthe games.

During school, I take in each and every moment, and hope that time would slow down. After school gets out, Conroy and I run to tend to the orchard of trees that seem to be carefree. It seems so peaceful here, and I wish that I never have to leave the sweet smell of the earth, and the soft dirt inbetween my toes. Itfeels that as soon as I get there, I have to leave.

I zip up my emerald green dress, and follow my mother to town square, and sit where all of the twelve year old girls sit. I feel the tension in the crowd. I only have one slip with my name on it, what are the chances of being drawn?

After what seemed like forever, our Capitol person, Grey Moore, gave her speech, and gives the little catchphrase "May the odds be_ ever_ in your favor." in that high Capitol accent. I swear they just talk like that to annoy people.

"Ladies first." Grey Moore mutters.

"The Girl tribute from district twelve is, Jessica Tunnel." Grey Moore says into the microphone. Out of thousands of names called, it was my best friend? I have the urge to volunteer.

"Any volunteers?" Asks Grey.

"I volunteer." I say boldly. If anyone were to be chosen, there might as well be some excitment. There are gasps from the crowd. The last volunteer was my sister, who was the first to die.

"Ah, and what is your name?" She asks.

"My name is Petunia Deerty." I say, trying to keep the fear from my voice.

"I see it runs in the family, any way, the boy tribute is, Monty Denber." Grey muses. Ah! I'm up against my mortal enemy. Ooh, wait 'till I get my hands on him!

The Peace Keepers lead my enemy and I to two seperate rooms, filled with satin furniture, and a soft carpet. I can tell that it's supposed to make me comfortable, but it doesn't. I'm homesick, and I'm about to be sentenced to death in a week, give or take a few days.

Out of nowhere, the door opens. It's my family! Conory, Mom, Dad, and my baby brother, Gad.

"You'll win, right?" Gad asks me with his big green eyes. I feel the need to tell him yes, but it'd break his heart if I told him that I would, and I didn't come home. Actually, it would break his heart anyway. Oh well, here goes nothing.

"I'll come back, I promise." Almost as soon as I say that, the Peace Keeper tells us that times up, and it's time to say good bye.

"I love you guys, and I won't go down without a fight." I say as my family is shoved out the door.

Next comes Jessica's family.

"Petunia! Why did you do that? I'm really scared that I won't see you again!" Jessica says.

"It was to save you. If you pass out at the sight of blood, you have no chance in the games." I answer, holding back tears. Appearently,Jessica's family was only given five minutes because he shoved them out before I could even say good bye.

Five minutes later, I'm brought to a train and shown to a whole train car that is supposed to be like my living quarters. As soon as I get in my room, I'm awed at the bed, and suddenly realize how tired I am. Without even taking off my shoes, I get on the bed andfall asleep.


	2. Meet the Tributes

I wake up to Grey's high pitched voice squealing, "We're in the Capitol! Now get up up up!"

Darn. Why don't they just leave us alone untill we get to the games! As soon as I open my eyes, I realize that it wasn't all a nightmare, but that I was on the train that went to the Capitol. Oh! That's what she's squealing about.

After we get into town, I'm led to this town square-like place. People lead me to a room in one of the stores, and before I know it, the prep team is washing me, rubbing of my skin, shaving my eyebrows, and ripping all the hair off of my body, with the exception of my head.

After about an hour of this horrible torture, the prep team goes out the door and is replaced by a lady that actually looks normal, untill she takes her hat off. That's when her hair comes out and stands on end.

"I've been thinking about your dress, and came up with a dress that looked like a Petunia, since that's your name." If I hear one more word in that stupid accent, I swear, I will explode! I swallow my irratation.

"I think it's a good idea. Oh, and another thing, can you please not talk like that?" The moment I said it, I regreted it.

"Are you making fun of the Capitol?"

"Er, no." I answer. Who am I kidding. We make fun at the accent all the time, but I can't tell her that because she already looks like she'll knock at least ten of my teeth out.

"Okay, that's good. Now let's get to work on those plans." It turns out that besides the fact that she's from the Capitol, which is the city I despise the most, she's not the bad tempered person I thought she was earlier.

After the plans are drawn out, I'm allowed to go back onto my quaters on the train, and prepare for dinner.

Last night, I slept through dinner, so I didn't know that while most of the districts were starving, the Capitol had full, rich meals every single day, which is an outrage. I only eat a few bites of meat, and some of the vegetables. Then I realize that they're just fatening us up so that we're not as used to being hungry.

After everybody finishes, I go to my fashion designer to see my dress for when they show the tributes. My dress looks just like my favorite flower!

"Get ready! We need to hurry!" I slip into my dress, and french braid my hair down my back. Now I look radiant. I'm ready walk down the hall and meet in the tributes' circle, and do exactly that. As I walk down the hallway, I vow that I will only kill in defense.


	3. Throwing Knives and Careers

"Breakfast!" the shrill voice of _Ms._ Trinket cries. Why do I have to call her miss! It's pointless. There's nothing I can do but get dressed in comfortable clothes because today is the day of my training. I walk into the dining room, I notice some homeground wheat bread, which brings me back home.

I can see Gad eating a small slice for breakfast, and Conroy grabbing one with peanut butter to eat on the way to school. I feel a pang in my chest. I'm so himesick. Even one minute there would be fine. I feel as if I must win to avenge my brothers and sisters, and to save Conroy and Gad from ever being drawn from the horrible glass balls. I have to win!

"You aren't going to stand there all day like the idiot you are, right?" Says pig faced Monty. I give him a dirty look, since it would be against the law to hit him over the head with the platter of bread.

"Look who's talkin'." I laugh. That shuts him up.

I take one slice of bread from the platter, and go off to the training center. I don't care if it makes me a goal for the careers, I like to do what I'm good at. First I review myself on edible plants, then I go to archery, and I manage to work on my rusty bow and arrow skills. Next, I move on to the weight throwing, which I suck at, and then, I hit throwing knives.

I hit the dummy where it's neck, stomach, and heart are, then for a final touch, I throw one last knife and cut the rope, causing the dummy to split open and make a shower of sawdust. Right then and there, I look around and gulp. The careers saw the whole thing!

"What are you doing?" says the tallest and most muscular guy there.

"I'm beating up the dummy." I say confidently to my soon to be opponents.

"She's good." I hear one of the smaller girls say.

Why am I such a show off? Now I'm as good as dead.


	4. The Interviews

After the hours of training, I finally get to see my dress for the interview. It's a white dress that goes five inches below my knees. I also have shiny white mary janes with a little two inch heel.

"If I were you I'd wait untill after dinner to put it on." This time, she has less of an accent.

"Thanks! See you after the games!" I say. She puts on a forced smile and waves as I walk out of the room. I know she doubts that I'll win, but I know one thing, I won't go down without a fight!

I go to back to the train, and I was told that we had switched to the hotel. I go into the dining room of the hotel, and eat my usual fruit, vegetables, and little bits of meat. In order to win, you have to live off of what you hunt and gather. After I finish, I'm escourted to my room. Almost right away, I change into my interview dress, and buckle my mary janes. I'm ready!

Obviously, pig face takes forever to do anything, so we won't get there early. Finally, we get to the studio, and meet Ceasar, the host.

First comes district one, then district two, and so on, untill finally it's my turn.

"So, what do you plan on doing in the areana?" he asks.

"I'm going to scavenger and kill only to defend myself and my possible allies." I answer.

Ceaser goes on and on about how that's a good idea not to look for trouble. While he's in the middle of a sentence, a timer goes off, and he falls silent. Now it's pig faces turn. After nine more minutes, it was time to go. Tomorrow was the first day of the games, so I change into some pajamas, and try to fall asleep. Eventually I do, but my dreams are haunted by nightmares.


	5. The Hunger Games Begin

As I wake up, I notice the sun's already up, and that I'm late for school. I look around my room and realize that I'm a tribute for the Hunger Games, and that this all actually is happening. Dread fills me as I throw off my blankets.

I hear a thud and decide to check the box. I take off the lid and there is an emerald green shirt with tan capris. On top of them is a chain with a petunia on it, along with a note that reads:

_Dear Petunia,_

_As a gift, I woud like to give you a necklace that has your lucky charm on it. I hope it will give you hope in the arena._

_-Your secret admirer_

I put the necklace on, and then the shirt and pants. At the very bottom of the box, there are some good climbing, running, and hunting boots, that seem to be designed especially for the games. There is also a jacket thatseems to reflect your body heat to keep you warm, and have more blood drawn in the arena.

"Are you ready?" Grey asks.

"Yes." I answer timidly. I review the stradegies I've seen in the past years as we ride to the arena. Get good suvival things, like water, and stuff for making the water safe to drink, but also get one of the weapons from your better area. For me that would be a bunch of throwing knives.

...

I stand in my ring by te Cornocopia waiting for the starting cannon to go off. Twenty feet ahead of me theres a bag that seems to have survival gear. Right next to it is a case of a large collection of throwing knives as if they were intended for me. Finally, there's an explosion. I run full speed to get to my gear and knives, and manage to get there and retreat before somebody catches me. Now to run off to the woods.

As soon as I become breathless, I decide that I'm far enough to see what I got.

I go through my knapsack. Inside of it is some a small empty skin, dried meat, water purifier, and a water bottle that's filled with water. I allow myself a sip, then go through my collection of knives. Each one is the same size, and has the same design, except for one. This one is the size of a large dagger, and could be used in hand to hand combat. This one has its own sheath and belt, whill the throwing knives come in a cape.

Ou of nowhere, I hear a twig snap behind me. I grab a throwing knife and whirl around. There's a giant from district one, and he obviously didn't want to be allies.

"Say hello to my little friend." I say, as I throw my little knife at his neck. Before he can sheild himself, the knife hits it's target. Blood gushes from the wound as I take my weapon out. Seconds later, I hear a cannon. Now I know that I retreat because his allies are probably looking for him, and wondering who was killed. Him, or me.

I run as fast as I can to see if I can find a stream, or river. Eventually, I get tired and climb a tree and look around me. There's a river that looks like it's a day's walk from here. By sunset, I manage to get closer to the river, and find a cav witha big enough hole to fit me. I cut a large "P" on the tree so I know which tree it was, and go to the nearby bush filled with edible berries, and fill my skin with them. I pick enough berries to snack on, and go back up to the tree.

I listen to the Panem anthem, and look out to see who was killed. Amazingly, only one other was killed. This would be one of the longest Hunger Games Panem ever had.


	6. Attacks in the Night

"I know she's here somewhere, but where could she be? We have to kill her." A girl from the career alliance says. Damn, the half of alliance is here! Three of them. I drop three of my knives, and later hear three cannons.

Almost all of the careers are dead. Now the games will last a lot longer. I have to hurry and collect my knives before their bodies are collected, so I leap down from branch to branch and collect my bloodied knives. Then, I noticed that they had one more person waiting for me in the darkness.

Out of the shadows came a guy. He was tall, and very muscular. I reached for my dagger, but he easily disarmed me. I tripped and landed on my back, waiting for the pain to come but it didn't. I opened my eyes, and realized that that guy had hit me between the arm, and side, and got his sword stuck in the ground.

He was now weaponless, and runs away to report that I hadn't been killed, but the other three had been killed.

I recollect all of my knives and dagger. I climb to my knapsack and cloak, and put both of them on. Now it's time to head towards the river. I walk as long as possible, and before resting, I climb a tree so that I can see who it is, if they have weapons, and who they are.

By daybreak, I'm only halfway there, and I'm almost out of water. I force myself to run longer, faster, and harder so that I can reach the stream faster, but decide to climb a tree and sleep. Only for a few minutes


	7. An Alliance

In the morning, I find myself lying on my back on the ground with a knife at my throat.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"I want to kill you!" She answers. She's from district twelve, and it looks like she's been stung once by a Tracker Jacker on her left knee, which is enough to cause temporary insanity.

"Wait before you kill me, because I know exactly how to save you from your pain."

I look around for the right leaves, but end up having to jump across tree branches in order to find them. As soon as I get back, I chew up the leaves, and place them on her sting. Almost as soon as the poison is drawn out, she's back to her normal state.

"What am I doing here?" She asks.

"You wanted to kill me. Oh! Hey, do you want to become an alliance?" I ask/ answer

"Uh, sure. By the way, my name is Rayncie." She says.

Rayncie looks about seventeen, we share our supplies imeadiatly. She gives me a larger skin to use for storing berries, and we exchange knapsacks so that she can have more room for game, and I don't rely on hunting as much as I do on picking berries.

"I saw a ariver that isn't too far away." I tell her. We start to walk west of the clearing, occasionally exchanging a few words, but we mostly stay quiet, and listen for signs of movement. Then out of nowhere, everything goes black. I can't see anything, but I still hear whats going on around me.

"I can't see!" I cry. Then out of nowhere, my sight comes back. I have a sigh of releif. I'm so glad that that my blindness wasn't permanent.

I realize that in the time I blacked out, almost all of the tributes ran into this particular clearing. I gasp. Swords clash, punches fly. I reach into my coat and throw some knives at random, but not in Rayncie's direction. As the fighting dies down, I retreive my knives, and retreat with my ally.

We run untill we're about to collapse, rest, take a sip of water, and get back on our feet. We can't risk another meeting with the suviving tributes.

After hours of running at top speed, we manage to make it to the river, only to find that it was almost dry. The gamemakers didn't plan on the games lasting more than five days longer.

Suddenly, I realize that the left side of my cheek is throbbing. I clutch my hand to my cheek, then look at it. My cheek has a long scar running from my fore head to chin. I rip off part of my sleeve and hold it against my scar, and wait for a few minutes, while Rayncie purifies some of the water. After an hour passes, I take of the now red scrap of cloth and feel my wound.

"Do you have a scarf?" I ask. Rayncie hands me a peice of gauze that is long and thick enough to cover my gash, and then some tape.

I squeeze the juice out of a berry that helps ease pain, and heal, and rub it on the gauze before putting it on a quarter of my face.

"Are you up for some water?" I ask my ally. She nods, and then we rest, taking shifts at guard. By nightfall, the only one alive besides us is Monty.


	8. The Victor

In the middle of the night, I'm shaken awake to releive Rayncie from her guard duty. Now it's my turn to keep watch for the rest of the night.

My face feels much better now, so I'm no longer in as much pain. I stand around the tree keeping my guard.

I begin to become bored, so I begin to look for a stick to make a bow out of. Finally I find one, and I take my hair out of my braids, and cut a few strands of my hair from different parts of my head. I twist my hair, and then tye each of the ends onto the opposite ends of the stick as tight as I can. Next, I gather a few sticks, and whiddle the ends to a point, and do some taget practice.

For once my thick hair is actually helpful, because it doesn't break. After a while of shooting at a tree, I start to get the hang of a bow and arrow, but I decide that I'll stick with my throwing knives.

Out of nowhere, I hear a rustle in the bushes, and go blind. Since I can't see, I slither off to the bushes.

After waiting a few minutes, I hear a cannon go off, and my vision comes back.

Jumping down the tree is Montmy, with blood dripping from his sword. Rage fills me, and I throw my dagger into his neck his neck. Seconds later, the 23rd and final cannon goes off. I'm a victor. The 42nd victor of the Hunger Games.

The End


End file.
